Bridge support for rotary reclaimer



A ril 19, 1966 F. x. CONNELLY ETAL 3,246,775

BRIDGE SUPPORT FOR ROTARY RECLAIMER Filed July 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. II.

(\1 INVENTORS Francis X C nnel I Arfhur G. Llchfen erg Nelson G. Erhardf ATTORNEY April 19, 1966 F. x. CONNELLY ETAL 3,246,775

BRIDGE SUPPORT FOR ROTARY RECLAIMER Filfid July 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Shee 3 ENTORS Frnc/s X. Connell Arthur G. Lichfenbeg Nelson 6. r ardf ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 BRIDGE SUPPORT FOR ROTARY RECLAIMER Francis X. Connelly, Rutherford. and Arthur S. Lichtenberg and Nelson G. Erhardt, Wayne, N.J., assignors to Litton Industries, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 25, 1963. Ser. No. 297,580 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-10) The present invention relates to apparatus which in- 'cludes a relatively large reclaimer wheel equipped with buckets mounted for rotation on a carriage which is movable longitudinally on a bridge structure which has its ends supported on railway type trucks so that the wheel may be moved into-operative association with the end of a pile of granular material and the invention more specifically pertains to the structure at end portions of the bridge structure which transfer the load of the bridge structure and the load imposed thereon onto the railway type trucks which roll on rails extending lengthwise of the pile from which material is to be reclaimed.

The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for reclaiming material from a storage pile wherein the granular material has been stored. Often the storage of the granular material in the form of an elongated pile is accomplished by methods'which provide for blending of particles having different sizes and different characteristics. The transverse width of such an elongated pile is often more than one hundred and fifty feet. One type of apparatus for reclaiming the granular material from the pile and which in itself provides further blending comprises a bucket wheel movable into positionto attack theend of the pile. The buckets carried by the reclaimer wheel dig into the granular material at the end if the pile. In such a machine the bucket'wheel is supported by a bridge structure which in turn is sup ported on wheels which tell on railway tracks at the sides of the pile. The tracks extend in directions longitudinally of the pile. The bridge supporting railway rails at opposite sides of the pile are spaced from each other by as much as one hundred and seventy feet.

The bridge structure which spans the distance between the tracks is of such length that temperature changes develop significant elongations and contractions of the bridge structure. The bridge member is subject to skewing relative its "supporting rails and may assume a nonperpendicular relationship relative to the railway tracks.

Irregularities in the trucks and disalignment of the tracks provide additional problems in avoiding stresses in the support of the bridge member. In additional non-symmetrical loads, both static and dynamic, are applied to the bridge member by the digging mechanism or wheel and a torsional load is imposed on the bridge structure by the harrow or rake associated with the reclaiming mechanism.

It is an object of the invention to provide supporting structure for the ends of the bridge structure of a bucket wheel type reclaimer to accommodate expansion and contraction of the bridge structure without developing stresses in the supports for the ends of the bridge member and to provide means transferring the load of the bridge member onto the trucks in such a manner as to substantially equally distribute the load on the truck axles.

Another object of the invention is to provide structure including a side frame between each end of the bridge member and the associated railway trucks wherein freedom of movement is provided to accommodate skewing of the bridge member relative to the tracks and to accommodate track irregularities and to accommodate expansion and contraction of the bridge member and to provide adequate support for the loads which are effectively resisted. i

Another object of the invention is to provide means ice whereby loads unsymmetrically applied to the bridge structure relative its major axis are properly resisted and resolved into simple bending moments to thereby avoid the development of undeterminate stresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide structure which includes ball and socket elements between the bridge member and the truck frames which accommodate changes in the length of the bridge member while supported on the trucks and which resists anytwisting of the bridge structure as a consequence of reaction forces developed by the bucket wheel digging into the pile.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of germane features of a bucket wheel reclaimer illustrating the bridge member which supports the bucket wheel and structure which permits the bridge member and the bucket wheel to be moved lengthwise of an elongated pile of granular material.

FIG. 2 is a transverse view partly in section and taken on theline 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the railway type truck-frames which are provided at each end of the bridge member and taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of one of the trucks.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of one end portion of the bridge member and the supporting means therefor.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 of the fixed pier leg.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view on a smaller scale of the end structure of the bridge member.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one of the trapezoidal shaped frames. v

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 1 showing a feature of the swingable pier leg.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing an outwardly hinged position of the swingable pier leg upon elongation of the bridge structure.

FIG. 11 is a similar diagrammatic View illustrating a position of the swingable pier leg upon lengthwise contraction of the bridge structure.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view depicting various conditions which the supporting means of the bridge structure are adapted to accommodate.

The bridge member 10 "for the reclaimer is of such length as to span the width of a pile of granular material which is to-be reclaimed. The elongated bridge member 10 may be fabricated of elements to provide a structure having the desired strength characteristics and in general includes a tension member 1-1 and a compression member 12. Suitable trans-verse and angular bracing elements 14 are provided at spaced intervals along the length of the bridge structure. A reclaimer wheel is shown at 16 equipped with buckets 17. The reclaimer wheel 16 is supported by a carriage 18 which rolls on rails carried by the compression member 12 of the bridge structure. The bridge member in the illustrated embodiment is generally 'of inverted triangular shape when viewed in cross section .as will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 2. The reclaimer wheel 16 is power driven to rotate about its axis whereby the buckets 17 dig into and lift granular material from the pile. Rotation of the bucket wheel elevates the material which is discharged onto a conveyor 21 supported on the bridge structure. The conveyor 21 carries the granular material beyond one end of the bridge member for delivery to suitable means for conveying the material to a point of use.

The invention pertains to the structural assemblies at each end of the bridge member so as to accommodate reactions resulting from loads imposed on the bridge member and to provide for the lengthwise movements of the bridge structure. There is a static load and other loads unsylmm'etrioally applied to the bridge structure such as the reaction load of the wheel 16 in digging into the pile and the load of the rake or harrow represented at '20 in FIG. 2. The approximate center line of the load of the wheel and rake imposed on the bridge member is indicated at in FIG. 2. The supporting assemblies each include a trapezoidal shaped frame 22 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 for transferring the load at one end of the bridge member onto railway type trucks equipped with wheels 23 which roll on rails 24. The rails 24 extend longitudinally of the pile and may be supported on foundation structures 26.

A spherical shaped element 28 is carried .by each end 'of the bridge member 10. A hemi-spher-ical shaped socket 29 is provided on each trapezoidal shaped frame 22. Such a ball and socket assembly at each end of the bridge member provides for the transfer of the load at each end of the bridge member onto the associated trapezoidal shaped frame 22. Plates 31 (FIGS. 2 and 7) carried by the lower portion of the bridge member 10 are provided with vertically aligned holes 30. The legs 35 of the bridge member extend through slots 25 in the upstanding arms of the trapezoidal frame 22 when the elements are assembled. The lower portion of the legs 35 and the plates 31 are accommodated in a slot 45 formed in the base portion 32 of the frame 22. A tie plate 40 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 is carried by the base portion 32 of the trapezoidal frame and extends between the plates 31 and a pin 33 extends through all of the plates.

The structure shown at the rig-ht in FIG. 1 is a fixed pier leg F and the structure illustrated at the left is a swingable pier leg S to accommodate lengthwise expansion and lengthwise contraction of the bridge structure 10 and to adapt the supporting means at the ends of the bridge structure for any disalignment of the tracks at the opposite sides of the pile and to support the ends of the bridge structure without developing stresses in the supporting means when there is skewing of the bridge structure relative to one or both tracks. The trapezoidal sh-aped frame 22 forming a part of the swingable pier leg S in its connection with the lower portion of the bridge structure permits the frame 2-2 to swing from a true vertical plane about a horizontal axis which extends generally transversely of the bridge structure and substantially at the level of the compression member 12. The structural features which permit the swingable pier leg S to change position will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

The slots 25 in the trapezoidal shaped frame 22 and the .slot 45 in the base portion 32 of the trapezoidal shaped frame 22 are of such transverse widths as to permit the legs 35 of the bridge structure to accommodate lateral swinging of the frame 22 of the swingable pier leg S.

A spherical shaped projections 38 (FIG. 2) is carried by one end of each trapezoidal shaped frame and rests in a socket 36 on a truck frame. A hemi-spherical shaped element 39 carried by the other end of the trapezoidal shaped frame 22 rests in 'a socket 3-7 on another truck. The ball and socket assembly 2 8 and 29 and the ball and socket assembly 36 and 3 8 and the ball and socket assembly 37 and 39 are under normal conditions in vertical alignment as will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 5, Thus the load at each end of the bridge member is imposed on the (frame of two railway trucks generally at the centers thereof as will be appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 3.

The sockets 36 and 37 on the respective truck frames are supported so as to transfer the load imposed thereon substantially equally onto all three of the truck axles. The socket member 37 is provided on a platform type frame member 43 which carries bearings 44 for the axle 46. The frame member 43 provides means for supporting a driving mechanism 41 (FIG. 2) on the truck. Side frame members 47 and 48 each carry bearings 51 and 5 2 for the axles 53 and 54. A cross member 56 is provided with trunnions 57 and 58 which extend into bearings 61 and 62 carried respectively by the side frame iemibers 47 and 48. An upstanding lug 66 on the cross member 56 is connected to the end of the frame member 43 by means of a pin '66 which extends through an opening 6-7 in the lug 6'3 and a hole 63 in an upstanding portion 69 of the frame member 43. The lug 63 extends into a recess 71 provided in the under side of the frame member 43. The arrangement of the trunnions 57 and '58 and frame members 47 and 48. provides for distribution of one-third of the load applied at the socket 37 onto each axle and provides equalization of the load on the axles of each truck. The pin '66 and cross member 56 provides transverse equalization and the wheel loads are equalized. Irregula-rities of the roadways or tracks accordingly do not impose undue stresses in the support assemblies and the ends of the bridge structure. The trucks may all be of similar construction.

Any elongation of the bridge member 10 will result in the spherical elements 28 being spaced at a greater distance from each other as indicated at E in FIG. 12. This movement is permitted by movement of the pin 33 in a slot 34 (FIG. 9) in the swingable pier leg S. A condition wherein the length of the bridge structure 10 has increased as a consequence of expansion and with the tracks 24 in normal aligned relationship is diagrammatically represented in FIG. 10. The frame 22 of the pier leg S then swings outwardly as permitted by the rotation of the spherical segments 38 and 39 in their sockets and movement of the pin 31 in the slot 34. The pin 33 extends through a circular opening 60 (FIG. 6) in the fixed pier leg F and maintains the tension portion 11 of the bridge member if) in fixed relationship with respect to the base portion of the frame 22 forming a part of the fixed pier leg. The outward swinging of the upper end portion of the frame 22 forming a part of the pier leg S does not impair the support of the associated end of the bridge member on the trucks. The loads at each end of the bridge member 10 are equally distributed to the axles of the railway trucks and to the wheels 23. The universal connection between the truck frames and the Wheels adapt the trucks to any irregularities in track structure without developing stresses in the support for the ends of the bridge member. As will be apparent from FIG. 10 slight differences in total loads on the inner and outer wheels of the trucks under the swingable pier leg S will occur as the frame 22 shifts but transverse equalization is maintained. In practice the load on the wheels are within five percent of each other at all times.

A condition wherein the length of the bridge structure 10 has decreased as a result of contraction of the bridge member and with the tracks 24 in normal aligned relationship is represented at C in FIG. 12 and diagrammatically shown in FIG. 11. The frame 22 of the pier leg S then swings inwardly because the spherical segment 28 engaging the socket 29 causes the frame 22 of the pier leg S to turn about the spherical segments 38 and 39 at the lower end of the frame 22. This swinging movement of the frame 22 of the pier leg S is permitted'by relative movement of the pin 33 in the slot 34". The pin 33 associated with the fixed pier leg F and extending through the hole 60 insures that the frame 22 of the pier leg F remains substantially in a vertical position.

The supporting means at the ends of the bridge structure are so constructed as to avoid the development of undesired stresses when skewing of the bridge structure takes place as represented at Z in FIG. 12. Such a condition is developed when one end of the bridge structure moves at a rate which is not in step with the other end of the bridge structure. Under these conditions the spherical segment 28 at the ends of the bridge structure rotates about a vertical axis with respect to the spherical sockets 29. The load at each end of the bridge structure is nevertheless transferred onto the trucks and the wheel in an equalized manner. The reclaiming apparatus includes means for correcting the skewing but such controls do not form a part of the present invention.

The supporting means for the ends of the bridge structure provides proper support for the bridge member in the event that there is a disalignment of the tracks such as indicated at D in FIG. 12. In such circumstances the trucks under and supporting the swingable pier leg move outwardly and the frame 22 of the swingable pier leg S is inclined inwardly in proceeding upwardly to the ball and socket assembly 28 and 29. Thus disalignment of the tracks does not set up undesired stresses in the supports for the bridge member. Vertical irregularities in the tracks are accommodated by the spherical segments 38 or 39 cooperating with the sockets 36 and 37.

While the term ball and socket joint is used herein and in the claims it will be understood that other equivalent universal movement providing means may be employed. While the structure is described as providing for movement of the end frames relative to the bridge member about vertical axes and relative movements about horizontal axes it will be understood that these movements are approximately vertical and horizontal and that compound movements of the swingable pier leg relative to the bridge member are possible. The pins 33 at both ends of the bridge structure together with the universal joint like connections resists unsymmetrical loads applied across the bridge. For example, the weight of the harrow and the digging loads applied by the wheel.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular type of frame at each end of the bridge member it will be appreciated that this structure may be altered and the disposition of the ball and socket con nections may be reversed and other types of railway trucks may be employed. Modifications in the elements and the assembly together with changes in the overall organization and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a reclaimer, an elongated horizontally disposed bridge member, trucks having elements adapted to rotatably support said reclaimer, an upright frame at each end of the bridge member, ball and socket means between each frame and the associated truck, ball and socket means between each end of the bridge member and an upper portion of the associated frame, said ball and socket means at each end of the bridge member being normally in vertical alignment for transferring the load of the associated end of the bridge member onto the associated truck, means connecting lower end portions of the bridge member to the respective frames, and one of said connecting means providing for relative movements of the frame and the bridge member in directions extending lengthwise of the bridge member.

2. In a rotary reclaimer, an elongated horizontally disposed bridge member having a compression member and a tension member, .a pair of trucks at each end of the bridge member having wheels rollable on means adapted to support said reclaimer, a trapezoidal shaped upright frame at each end of the bridge member, ball and socket means between each end of the compression member and the upper portion of the associated frame, ball and socket means between the base of each frame and the associated trucks, said ball and socket means at each end of the compression member being in general vertical alignment, means connecting the tension member to the lower portions of the respective frame, and one of said connecting means including a pin and slot arrangement providing for longitudinal movements of the bridge member relative to the lower portion of one of said trapezoidal shaped frames.

3. In a rotary reclaimer according to claim 2 including means on said trucks for distributingthe load from the ball and socket means substantially equally to the wheels thereof.

4. In a rotary reclaimer, an elongated horizontally disposed bridge member, tracks at the ends of said bridge member extending substantially at right angles thereto, trucks at each end of the bridge member having wheels rollable on said tracks, an upright frame at each end of the bridge member, each frame having a base portion overlying the associated trucks and an upper end portion, a ball carried by each end of the bridge member, a socket carried by the upper end portion of each frame respectively receiving one of said balls transferring the load at the ends of the bridge member onto one general point on said frames, two balls carried by the base portion of each frame, a socket carried by each truck receiving respectively the last mentioned balls transferring the load on said frame onto said trucks, means connecting a lower portion of the bridge member at each end thereof to a base portion of the respective frames, and one of said connecting means permitting lengthwise movements of the bridge member with respect to the associated frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,706 7/1884 Brown 2l215 903,806 11/1908 Anderson 21215 3,069,027 12/1962 Dischinger 21410 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner. 

1. IN A RECLAIMER, AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED BRIDGE MEMBER, TRUCKS HAVING ELEMENTS ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT SAID RECLAIMER, AN UPRIGHT FRAME AT EACH END OF THE BRIDGE MEMBER, BALL AND SOCKET MEANS BETWEEN EACH FRAME AND THE ASSOCIATED TRUCK, BALL AND SOCKET MEANS BETWEN EACH END OF THE BRIDGE MEMBER AND AN UPPER PORTION OF THE ASSOCIATED FRAME, SAID BALL AND SOCKET MEANS AT EACH END OF THE BRIDHE MEMBER BEING NORMALLY IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT FOR TRANSFERRING THE LOAD OF THE ASSOCIATED END OF THE BRIDGE MEMBER ONTO THE ASSOCIATED TRUCK, MEANS CONNECTING LOWER END PORTIONS OF THE BRIDGE MEMBER TO THE RESPECTIVE FRAMES, AND ONE OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDING FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENTS OF THE FRAME AND THE BRIDGE MEMBER IN DIRECTIONS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE BRIDGE MEMBER. 